Otome looked over at all the notes that she had gathered for her Social Studies report. It hadn't been easy since Ryuji Hasuma was so tight-lipped about his life. Still, she had managed to get to the real meat of it…and she wasn't sure if she wanted it.
Ryuji was the youngest of the four siblings with Neko being third, Ryuki the second, and Kat being the oldest. It hadn't been the most stable of families. Ryuji's father Kyousuke had vanished when they were young. No one knew where he went. The family wasn't hard for cash, but that wasn't the problem. Being the eldest boy, Ryuki was given plenty of attention by his grandparents and Kat hated it, becoming something of a delinquent. Ryuji and Neko were more or less ghosts to the family. No one paid attention to them. Their attention was either focused on Ryuki's training or Kat's delinquency.
Ryuji and Ryuki had adopted a brother figure in an older boy they met and became friends with. Sadly, he had died and the boys dealt with it in their own ways. Ryuki had run away from home while Ryuji became increasingly violent. Later, the boys found out that Kat had committed some kind of crime against the family. It forced Ryuki to run all the way to America while Ryuji needed to go into therapy for his anger issues. He got so out of control that he had to be locked up.
A lot of the issues had been resolved by the time they started coming to school with Otome, Kotonoha, and the others. Kat managed to straighten herself out and Ryuki had come home, coming to terms with the death of his friend. Ryuji even mellowed out a little. That was when Ryuji met Kotonoha.
In Ryuji's words, she was the one person that he could never seem to be angry with. He wasn't sure why. He just never seemed to find anything upsetting about her. Eventually he discovered that he had fallen in love with her, and that she had done the same. They made their relationship public on the day of the school festival.
Otome had asked Kotonoha about the vague hints that Ryuji had been dropping during their first meeting for the project. Kotonoha seemed to dislike telling the story, but she told it anyway. Much of it ended up shocking Otome.
As it turned out, Makoto had been cheating on Kotonoha with Sekai for some time. Somehow, Ryuji had discovered it and started going out of his way to comfort her. Eventually she discovered he had feelings for her one night when she caught Makoto and Sekai making out. He walked her back to her house just to make sure she was okay.
She also explained why Taisuke got the tar beaten out of him on the last night of the festival too. He had confessed to Kotonoha and tried to force himself on her. Kotonoha hadn't used those words, but the look in her eyes and Otome's gift to read between the lines told her what she needed to know. Ryuji went ballistic on him for that. It was also when Kotonoha decided to try and see what a relationship with Ryuji would be like. She never looked back.
"MIDNIGHT MUSEUM MAYHEM"
Students were gathered in front of a notice board and looking at the midterm results that were posted. For a lot of students, this meant anguish and for some victory.
"Aw, man!" Kat groaned as she saw that she was in 58th place. "What a drag."
Rose, who was in the 30th place sighed, "Well, you should've studied more."
"But I did!" Kat exclaimed.
"You spent most of the time watching TV and munching on sushi," Rose clarified.
"Oh, I did," Kat remembered. Actually, she did more than that. Her previous loss to Neko had taught her that she wasn't as strong as she would like to think. She'd been training when she should've been studying.
Kotonoha looked upon her results and smiled. "Looks like I'm at number 1," she beamed.
"Congratulations, Koto-chan," her boyfriend praised, "You deserve that spot with all the hard work you put in."
"Thank you," she blushed at Ryuji's praises.
"And thanks for the help." He was ranked 15th.
"You would've done the same for me."
"It's hard to believe that you did so well," said Kenzaki to Ryuji. Kenzaki was ranked at 16th.
"Well, I did better than you two," pointed Neko. She was at 12th. It was hard to believe that she and Kat had once been the same person.
"So, have you all heard about the fieldtrip to Kyoto next week?" Kotonoha asked her friends.
"Been looking forward to it," nodded Ryuji. 'Especially being alone with Koto-chan.'
"We should go to Cinema Town!" Neko said excitedly. "I wanna play dress up!" She asked Kenzaki, "Have you ever been to Kyoto, Ken-kun?"
"Not really," her boyfriend shrugged. "Never found the time."
"We all know why," Ryuji understood. "But then again I haven't been to Kyoto personally myself."
"Really?" asked Kotonoha. "I thought you might've stopped by on your travels."
"I had other things on my mind. Sightseeing just wasn't a priority."
"Let's change that, then!" said Neko cheerfully. "Let's all create some wonderful memories in Kyoto together." She wrapped her arms around her boyfriend and brother's shoulders. "What do you say?"
Kenzaki chuckled as Ryuji rolled his eyes. Even with all the stuff that was happening in their lives, she still had time to smile.
Setsuna eyed the group with her usual stare. There was actually something special in Kyoto. An artifact that had been unearthed several weeks ago. She thought it would be interesting if the class went to the museum there to check it out.
A week later, Class 2-3 and 2-4 were at the train station. The two classes would be taking an express bullet train straight to Kyoto. Once they arrived in Kyoto Station, they boarded two buses.
One bus had the students of Class 2-3 riding inside while the other bus was for the students of Class 2-4.
Ryuji was seated next to Kotonoha who was snuggling against his arm. A few rows behind them were Kenzaki and Neko with the wielder of Ryukendo talking cheerfully about what they would do there in Kyoto. Taisuke was seated with Setsuna, much to his chagrin, and Makoto was with Sekai. Otome ended up sitting next to Vash who was sleeping with his head against the window. It was just how she wanted it.
"OK, class," said Warren as he spoke into a microphone, "I know you're all excited about this field trip."
"Hell yeah!" one student cried out.
"But I hope you can all suppress that youthful excitement until we actually get there." He turned to his adorable daughter who was holding a clipboard for him. "Tessa, can you hand me my clipboard?"
"Sure, daddy," the little girl said as she handed it to him. A few of the girls went 'aww' at seeing Tessa. She was just so cute.
As Warren was reading the rules off his clipboard, Rachel was doing the same in the other bus for her class. Her eyes were set on Rose and Kat. She'd heard that the Tiger Rider was an apprentice to Slade from an alternate timeline and that Rose was Slade's daughter. She didn't trust them one bit, especially after Kat's attempt to turn the entire female student body into brainwashed catgirls. Hell, Kat would've turned all the female teachers into catgirls too if she hadn't been stopped by Kenzaki and Neko. It was hard to believe that someone like Kat could become a Rider but her husband had explained that the name Kamen Rider wasn't exclusive to just good guys.
Sitting with Alex was Teresa, Warren's girlfriend whom Rachel shared the Wraith with. Though she'd been hesitant to share Warren with any women, Rachel had come to love Teresa like her own sister. And well, Tessa and Alex loved their Aunt Teresa dearly.
Kat and Rose were seated together. Hikari and Nanami were seated on the opposite row and Kat was talking to her two closest friends in class. Kat had actually played on the basketball team a few times and won them several matches and she also helped them settle any arguments they had with any other club who wanted to use the gym for themselves. Sure, Kat had gotten suspended a couple of times but so far she was an amazing asset to the team with her ability to score 3-pointer shots at any given time.
"Oh, I'm gonna soak up all the culture," snickered Kat as she rubbed her hands together.
"You mean stuff your face with food, right?" clarified Rose.
"Naturally, Rosie-chan!" winked Kat. "There's so much I wanna try and buy!"
"Like souvenirs?" Rose asked hopefully.
"Of course!" Kat unfolded a sheet of paper and flashed it, "I even made a list I wanna get for souvenirs. Bobby and Cathy were kinda bummed that they couldn't come along so I promised to bring back souvenirs!" Kat flashed Hikari and Nanami a grin.
It was no secret that Kat, Rose, Cathy and Bobby lived together in Ryuji's old apartment but the nature of their relationship was questionable and made people speculate a lot. They knew Kat and Rose were lovers. Heck, Kat had advertised it a lot to get the point across. Cathy and Bobby liked each other and were dating but preferred to keep their intimate moments to themselves. Still, it was obvious to everyone else that they were in love. Kat actually gave them her blessings since Bobby was the only boy she would ever trust with Cathy.
After several hours, the two buses finally reached Kyoto.
"Sugoi! What an amazing view!" said Neko in amazement as both classes arrived at Kiyomizu-dera which was a Kitahossou Buddhist temple and historical landmark. Its full name was Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera. She was leaning over the veranda with her eyes wide in amazement. Kenzaki was with her too.
"It is simply marvelous," agreed Gekiryuken.
"It's nice and all," said Kat in a bored tone. "But when do we get some grub? I'm starving."
"You really don't have one cultural bone in your body, do you?" asked Kenzaki.
"Heck, the only culture I'm interested is culinary. I came along to eat the food, not see the sights."
"Ken-kun! Ken-kun!" said Neko cheerfully. "Take a picture of me!"
Kenzaki took out his cell phone to take a picture of her and get away from Kat. He still didn't like her all that much, especially after the catgirl incident, but he tolerated her still for the sake of his girlfriend.
"Neko-san seems to be enjoying herself," observe Kotonoha.
"I guess," shrugged Ryuji.
"What do you think of the view?" asked Kotonoha.
"Oh, it's nice."
Kotonoha frowned and then said, "You know, there is an old Edo tradition involving jumping off from here. If you survived then your wish would be granted."
"You know I can survive a drop like that, Koto-chan," said Ryuji. "But, if you want, I'd jump for you any day."
Kotonoha smiled.
Some of the students had gone exploring. The temple included several other shrines and among was the Jishu Shrine that was dedicated to Okuninishu, a god of love and "good matches". The shrine possessed a pair of "love stones" which were placed 18 meters apart. Lonely visitors would attempt to walk between the stones with their eyes closed. Success in reaching the other stone with their eyes closed would mean that the 'pilgrim' would find love. That was a why a few lonely girls who didn't have boyfriends were taking turns. So far, none had been able to do so.
Rose was with Hikari and Nanami and giving the loopy-haired girl some encouragement. Setsuna was present as well only to watch Taisuke fail miserably. Now, it was Hikari's turn to walk between the "love stones".
"I don't know about this, girls," said Hikari, blushing a bit in embarrassment.
"Just go and try it," said Nanami. "You want to find love. Any luck would help by now."
"You don't have anything to lose," added Rose.
"But what if I accidentally open my eyes?" said Hikari.
"I got the answer to that," said Rose as she took out a handkerchief and made it into a blindfold for Hikari. "Can you see anything?"
"No," Hikari answered.
"OK, now start walking," said Nanami who gave her best friend a pat on the back. Hikari gulped and started walking, hoping to get to the other stone.
"Hey!" said Kat as she showed up. "What's going on?" She was chewing on some snacks she'd brought along.
"Hikari's doing the love walk," Rose explained.
"Is she blindfolded?" asked Kat.
"Yes."
"Then she's gonna have a hard time getting to that other stone."
Hikari was walking slowly and carefully. 'I can do this. I can do this,' she thought to herself in encouragement. Since before the incident involving the King Imagin, Hikari had given up on Taisuke who wasn't what she'd wanted in a boyfriend. In fact, she'd wanted someone more like Ryuji. Sure, the guy was a bit rough around the edges and violent but she'd seen how nice he could be. If she could do this, then maybe she could gain the courage to find herself a boyfriend.
She'd managed to walk 10 feet without swaying from the path. She was getting closer. There was no way she was going to fail.
Back in the main hall, Warren and his family were looking at the view from the veranda. Warren was holding Tessa up in his arms and said, "Take a look at the view, honey!"
"Wow daddy!" said the girl. "It's so pretty!"
"Never saw this when you were in Japan, huh, Rae?" asked Warren.
"We were in Tokyo most of the time," shrugged Rachel. "But maybe next time we can get everyone to come to Kyoto."
"That ought to be fun," grinned Warren. "By the way, have you all seen Vash?"
"I think I saw him somewhere downstairs," pointed Teresa.
Not too far away, Kotonoha was watching Warren and his family. With a sigh she glanced at her boyfriend. She was envious of Warren for having a happy family. She loved her family, without a doubt, but she wanted to raise her own family with Ryuji. She knew it wasn't an impossible wish since she'd seen into his mind and knew he wanted a family with her too. The question was when.
'Maybe I should get myself a lucky charm for love and marriage,' thought Kotonoha. She blushed and let out a giggle. 'What am I thinking? I don't need luck but still…it doesn't hurt to get some insurance.'
Hikari had tripped before she could reach the second love stone and Nanami was currently consoling her distraught friend. "Hey, cheer up. You managed to almost touch it."
"But I still tripped!" Hikari cried. "Now I'll never find love!"
"Never say never, Hikari," encouraged Kat. "I mean I never expected to find love either until I found Rosie-chan here."
That just made Hikaru feel worse. Why could her friends find love and not her? It was hopeless.
Meanwhile, Vash had shown up and saw what everyone was doing. So, on a whim, he decided to try it himself. He closed his eyes and walked.
"Ow…" Vash groaned as he pressed his hand against his bandaged forehead.
"So, he tripped and hit his head on the other stone?" Warren asked Kat.
"Yes, and it was hilarious!" chuckled Kat. "I mean he just tripped, fell over and knocked himself out!"
"Not funny," Vash glared.
"Well, if you think that's bad, then you might not want to know that everyone took pictures," snickered Kat.
"Oh, Jesus Christ," moaned Vash. "There goes my street cred."
"Like you had any," snorted Kat. "So, where to next, Teach?"
The students were then taken to the Kyoto National Museum. Kotonoha was amazed at the large collection of art pieces on display. Ryuji, however, wasn't as fascinated. He didn't care for this stuff, really, but if he got to spend time with Kotonoha, he would endure it. Still, there had to be some interesting piece of art on display.
The museum itself had three sections for Fine Art, Handicrafts and Archeology. Once again the students were allowed to explore. Currently, Kotonoha and Ryuji were in the Fine Arts section of the museum looking at old paintings.
"Isn't it amazing?" said Kotonoha.
"Yeah, it is," said Ryuji.
She gave him a look, "You're not having much fun, are you?"
He sighed. "Old paintings just don't excite me, Koto-chan. Gomen." He looked around and then one painting caught his eye. He walked over to it.
"Ryuji-kun?" she asked. She followed him and then stood next to him as he gazed upon the painting. "What's wrong?" He pointed at the painting entitled the 'Quaking Dragon' and when she looked at it, she gasped.
It was the DynoLiner. Though it appeared like a dragon, the colors and the design was uncanny. If one would compare the image of the painting with the time train itself, they would see the resemblance. Still, unless you knew what the DynoLiner looked like, you would assume the train was actually a dragon.
Ryuji's phone rang and he quickly picked it up, "Hello?"
"You have to get to the Archeology section," said Kenzaki on the other end. "There's something you might wanna see."
"Is that what I think it is?" asked Ryuji as he stood amongst a crowd that was looking at the item on display. It was in a glass case with a velvet rope surrounding it. In that glass case was what appeared to be a stone belt. It had a square buckle shaped like a pair of jaws. Though it wasn't possible, but it could only be one thing…
…A Kamen Rider Belt.
"Yes," nodded Kenzaki as he recognized the design which was similar to his own Garoh Belt. The stone belt even had buttons to the right of the buckle. There were four of them, square, and in a vertical row.
"It resembles Kenzaki-sama's own belt," said Gekiryuken.
"But what is a Rider Belt doing here?" asked Kotonoha.
"I think the same reason why the DynoLiner is in this world," reasoned Ryuji. "I saw a painting of the DynoLiner dubbed the 'Quaking Dragon'.
"Fitting name," Neko agreed. "So, this is the original belt linked to your train then."
"I don't know for sure but it could be. Why is it stone?" asked Ryuji.
"Fossilization," Kenzaki theorized. "Must've been fossilized and now it's stone."
"OK, but it's still a Rider Belt nonetheless," said Kotonoha. "What are you going to do about it, Ryuji-kun?"
Ryuji's eyes were focused on the belt. "I don't know." But he knew he had to get it, somehow.
Hiroshi grumbled as he watched Kotonoha and Ryuji act so obviously in love. It made his temper boil. He was a card carrying member of the Kotonoha Love-Love Association. He had joined up hoping that he would be able to take Kotonoha as his own girlfriend. The problem was that she was with Ryuji Hasuma. Hiroshi thought he was a violent cretin who didn't deserve an angel like Kotonoha. Even though Kotonoha made a point about learning about her, she had never given them a chance to learn about her.
Hiroshi ran with the KLLA these days to try and discredit Ryuji and make Kotonoha break up with him. The problem was that he was dedicated to her and never looked sideways at another girl. He was a tough fighter and Kotonoha accepted that violent side of him. He was obviously corrupting her and Hiroshi had to do something before he completely destroyed the angel she was.
As Hiroshi continued to glare, an orb snuck out from inside a suit of armour. It continued to watch Hiroshi, hoping to see if the kid could be a worthy host. It had to be careful though of the Riders. It'd heard that they could be here.
Ryuji was still in deep thought during the trip to the inn. First he saw a painting of the DynoLiner captioned as the 'Quaking Dragon'. What could it mean? He knew the DynoLiner had been lost and somehow ended up in this world but to see it in a painting was a big surprise. The name 'Quaking Dragon' also gave his train legendary status. Was it possible that it'd awakened before in the past? How else would it have a painting dated several centuries old?
Since receiving his own time train, Ryuji's rewards for killing Imagin had gone to restocking the DynoLiner with supplies, maintenance of the train as well as fuel for it. That had cost a lot and Ryuji wasn't left with much in the end. Luckily for him he didn't need to spend much now since he was with Kotonoha.
What bothered him was the belt that was in the museum. Sure it was secured from normal criminals but Imagin weren't exactly normal and he was afraid it may end up in the wrong hands. For some reason, he felt a connection with the belt just like his connection with the DynoLiner. He just knew it was his. He didn't know how but he knew that the belt had to be protected.
"Ryuji-kun, what's wrong?" asked Kotonoha who was sitting next to him on the bus. She was leaning against him. She just couldn't help but feel comfortable with him.
"It's nothing," he lied and she knew it.
"You're still thinking about that painting and that belt we saw aren't you?" she asked.
"A little," he admitted.
"Ryuji-kun…" she said pleadingly, wanting him to open up and tell her what was wrong. She could help him if he let her in.
"Well, what else am I supposed to think?" he whispered, "I saw a Kamen Rider belt and it's mine."
"How do you know this?" she whispered back.
"Because the feeling I got when I saw it was the same feeling I got when I pilot the DynoLiner," he reasoned. "It all fits."
"So, what are you going to do?" she asked, knowing she may not like the answer.
"Take it back, I suppose," he told her. She gasped.
"But that's stealing!"
"I know that, but…" He sighed. "It's out in the open like that so I'm feeling a little concerned about its safety."
"Even if it is yours it is still museum property," Kotonoha warned "I don't want you becoming a criminal."
"I'm sorry," he apologized for causing her distress. "I'll try to forget about it. I'm here to enjoy the fieldtrip with you."
"Good." She kissed his cheek. "That's what I want to hear."
"So…" he smirked. "When everybody is asleep, do you want to sneak into the hot springs and…" He then whispered what he planned to do with her and she became flushed.
"Ryuji-kun!" she snapped, slapping his arm. "Hentai!"
"Gomen," he said without remorse as he rubbed his arm.
Kenzaki watched as Ryuji and Kotonoha flirted with each other and sighed. He then felt Neko tickle his chin and with a chuckle he turned to look at his girlfriend.
"Stop staring at them," she said.
"I wasn't staring," he denied.
"Actually, you were," Gekiryuken affirmed.
Neko pouted, "Stare at me for a change, Ken-kun."
"I can't complain about that. You're beautiful," he complimented.
Blushing, Neko covered her pink cheeks. "Oh, Ken-kun!"
"And that isn't a lie," he said to her.
She then leaned up and whispered into his ear, "Let's sneak into the hot springs later when everyone is asleep. Then, I'll let you see me naked."
Kenzaki grinned from ear to ear at hearing this. He was one more step closer. He was not going to mess up this chance. Though she still wouldn't go all the way with him, she had become a bit more willing when the two were sharing their special intimate moments.
In the other bus, most of the students were exhausted and some were asleep. Kat wasn't among them. She'd eaten a lot of candy before getting on the bus and so Rose had to strap her into her seat to make sure she didn't bounce off the walls.
Rose sometimes wondered what made her fall for Kat. When they were just teenagers, they'd met. Kat was her father's apprentice and the two had grown close. Rose fell in love with that crazy catgirl who would cause chaos. Guess she just loved Kat for being so in love with life and not afraid of being herself. Unlike Rose, Kat wasn't shy.
Kat, on the other hand, never wondered about her relationship with Rose. Sure, she could get any guy or girl she wanted but she never really had a type until she met Rose. A bad relationship with a guy (Takada) had made Kat swear off boys for good. They were mostly perverted and hormonally driven. Well, that was a bit biased. Girls could be the same way but at least they could control themselves. OK, that was once again a biased opinion but Kat lived by example and she hadn't seen or met that many descent guys in her life.
Now, she loved Rose for just being Rose. Rose just…she could understand her. Even when she had been a psychotic bitch in the past, and she still was to a certain degree now, Rose could understand her. Many viewed Kat as still being evil. And even if that was true no one could question her own (warped) sense of honor. When push came to shove, Kat would be there to protect her love ones without question. These people included her mother, her wife Rose, her daughter Cathy and her surrogate father Slade too.
But, even with all the shit that happened in her life, she was happy. Now, if only Rose would untie her. She'd only had a few pieces of candy. She wasn't going to crazy just because of that.
Once they arrived at the inn, the students could get out of their uniforms and into more comfortable attire after a long day. Several had gone to the hot springs to take a relaxing soak while others were wandering around the inn for no apparent reason. One of them was Kat and she was just waiting for dinner. After Rose was sure she was sober, she was freed from her restraints.
"Hey, Kat."
She heard the call and turned to see Ryuji leaning against the wall. "Yeah?" she responded.
"Can we talk? In private?" he requested.
Kat knew this had to be important. Otherwise, Ryuji wouldn't be talking in such hush tones. Also, his body language spoke volumes. This could put an end to the boredom she was feeling. "Sure," she shrugged. "What the hell?"
"So, are we going to steal this thing or not?" Kat asked bluntly.
Ryuji and Kat were talking alone at a table at a ramen shop. He had informed her about his plans of 'acquiring' the Rider belt they'd seen in the museum.
"Yeah, the training Slade-sensei gave us will come in handy," Ryuji shrugged. "But Koto-chan can never know!"
"You know she'll find out eventually," Kat retorted. She slurped her noodles.
"I want to keep her in the dark at least until we're back in Tokyo," Ryuji sighed.
Kat knew how much Kotonoha meant to Ryuji. Doing this may break the foundation of trust they'd built their relationship on. Still, she understood why Ryuji needed to do this. That belt could become dangerous in the wrong hands like Nanimo for example.
Kat had learnt all she could about Nanimo. The guy had screwed with her little brother's mind. That just made her hate the guy. No one was allowed to harm her family but her. She knew why Ryuji had come to her for help. As apprentices of Slade, they needed to stick together.
"So, what's the plan?" asked Kat.
"I haven't thought of it, really," Ryuji said. "That's why I came to you."
"Good," she grinned. "I have just the plan I've been saving for a similar caper back home."
"We better do this quick," said Ryuji as she and Kat swiftly and silently got out of the inn without detection after dinner and lights out. Slade had taught them a lot about stealth and in the cover of night, the darkness was their ally. It also didn't hurt to have some dark clothing like the black jumpsuit Ryuji had on and the black bodysuit Kat was sporting. Both also had utility belts, black gloves and black tinted goggles to hide their identities. "I promised Koto-chan I'd spend some time with her."
"Trying to sneak into the onsen for some hot sweaty sex, eh?" teased Kat.
Ryuji blushed but didn't make a sound. "Let's just go. Our ride's waiting outside."
The ride he was talking about was the Machine Dyno-Breaker. Though it wasn't the most inconspicuous bike with the jutting tusks, it had a dark red color scheme that Kat liked.
"And I got our gear," she said, hands patting the pouches of her belt. "You did set up a decoy, right?"
"Yes," he nodded. "Though I wonder where you got blow-up dolls."
"You got your secrets and I got mine," She told him." Said dolls were just brought along for some fun. She would pretend they were people she didn't like and beat them up just for fun. "Now, let's go," she ordered. Ryuji got on the bike and she mounted it behind him before they raced into the night.
Kotonoha poked her head out into the main hallway to see if anyone was there before slowly tiptoeing towards the onsen. Ryuji was probably waiting for her right now which was why she wasn't wearing anything under that yukata of hers which the hotel had given them. She was going to have some fun with her boyfriend like he'd promised her. 'Oh, Ryuji,' she thought with a sigh. She imagined what he would do to her while they soaked in the hot water. Her face turned flushed as she giggled.
The Machine Dyno-Breaker stopped outside of the museum and the two thieves dismounted from their ride. "OK, let's review the plan," said Kat as she took out a folded sheet of paper from her pocket and spread it open on the ground. It was a diagram of the museum's interior.
"How did you make this so quick?" asked Ryuji in wonderment.
"Like I said, I drew this up back in our world for a similar caper. I was going to steal some cat-themed artifacts from the museum there," she explained. "OK, the basic plan is in several easy steps."
Ryuji listened to the plan as she explained it to her.
"Step 1: we shut down the security system. Step 2: we take out security. We don't have to kill the guards, just incapacitate them. Step 3: we blind the surveillance system. Step 4: we go in and grab the target and then replace it. Step 5: we escape," she told him.
Ryuji quirked an eyebrow, "That sounds way too simple to me. I thought Slade-sensei would've taught you to be more elaborate."
"He also told me that good plans shouldn't be complicated," she said as she folded the plan up. "Just be creative and improvise. Now, let's go and be silent."
"Way ahead of you," Ryuji winked.
The two went for the main building, ducking under the guard posted at the gate. Using grappling hooks, they silently scaled the walls. Finding a window, Kat cut a hole in the glass using the claws on the fingertips of her gloves and took out the round piece of glass she'd cut out before reaching for the handle and giving it a twist and then pushing the window open for them to enter. She then whispered to Ryuji, "Put on your gas mask." He did as told as she did the same. She reached into her utility belt and pulled out two devices. Both had the stylized sharp 'S' which was Slade's initial. One was an EMP bomb that would knock out all the electrical devices like the security system. The second was a knockout gas emitter.
She set the two items up and activated them. A cloud of gas was generated by the emitter as the EMP generator sent out EMP waves to deal with any surveillance and security systems. The gas would take out any security guards that were patrolling. It had a long range.
The duo then continued to make their way towards the Archeological section of the museum where the belt was on display. With security, both live and electronic, knocked out, it was smooth sailings for them from here on end…or so they thought.
Kotonoha made her way to the onsen and giggled when she saw a figure there. 'Ryuji-kun,' she thought with a silent giggle. She shed off her yukata and slipped into the water before making her way towards the boy she loved. When she reached him, she wrapped her arms around him from behind and rubbed her breasts against his back. He stiffened in her grasp and she asked, "What's wrong, Ryuji-kun? Is there anything I can do to help?"
She then heard a different voice, "Yeah, do you mind telling me why you're hugging my boyfriend?"
Kotonoha's eyes snapped open. She backed away and she realized the person she was hugging had short and silver hair, not long and black hair. She looked over the person's shoulder to see Neko, waving. "Neko-san?" She gasped in realization, "Kenzaki-san?"
Kenzaki didn't dare to turn around but he blushed and nodded.
Overwhelm with embarrassment, Kotonoha was about to shriek when Neko covered her mouth. "Shush!" Neko placed a finger against her own lips. "We don't want anyone else finding out we snuck in here." She removed her hand from Kotonoha's mouth.
"What are you doing here? Where's Ryuji-kun?" Kotonoha asked frantically. "He was supposed to meet me here."
Both Kenzaki and Neko could only guess where their two fellow Riders had gone to.
"Target is in sight," grinned Kat. "Let's grab it and bag it." She was about to walk over to it when she felt Ryuji's hand on her shoulder. Annoyed, she hissed, "What?"
"I have the strange feeling that we're getting watched," he said and then his watch suddenly began to beep. "What the? An Imagin?"
"Just turn it off!"
Ryuji's watch instantly went into compass mode to tell him where the Imagin was and his eyes widened behind his goggles. "Shimatta (oh, no)!"
"What now?" sighed Kat.
"The Imagin, it's…"
"Here," both heard a growl and the two Yin Hasuma siblings spun around to see who'd spoken.
The Imagin was donned in Samurai armour, but it was more extravagant that normal. It traveled all over its body, but looked like it was made of scales rather than leather or metal. Two swords hung at its hips, sheathed in ornate scabbards. There was even a cape hanging from its shoulders. The face which the siblings assumed to be a mask was in fact a real Oni face, horns and all.
"Ryuji Hasuma," the Shogun Imagin spoke. "I am here to split you up!"
"Huh?" Ryuji and Kat blinked at the same time.
Drawing its swords, the Shogun Imagin crossed them in an X formation. Raising them, it slashed, creating a wave in the shape of an X. Both Hasuma siblings didn't even bother thinking before they reacted. The duo dodge rolled from the Imagin's attack. Both quickly got to their feet before they decided to make some tracks.
"To be honest, I blame you for this," said Ryuji to Kat as they made some distance between themselves and the Imagin.
"Look what I found in his futon," said Kenzaki as he held up a deflated blow up doll.
"What is that thing?" asked Kotonoha. It looked like a balloon in the shape of a man.
"There are just some things you aren't meant to know," said Kenzaki, disturbed. "Neko, you find anything?"
"Yes," Neko nodded as she walked over to the two with a deflated blowup doll as well, this time female. "I found this in Kat-neechan's futon." Rose was with her as well having woken up when her bedmate had deflated. "Rosie-chan was hugging it."
"I thought it was Kat, okay?" Rose said defensively.
"But if these were in their futons, where are they now?" asked Kotonoha.
"That's a good question," said Gekiryuken.
"Wherever they are, Kat must be causing trouble," muttered Kenzaki.
Kat was smashed against the wall by the Shogun Imagin's fist as it continued to try and strike Ryuji down. Ryuji already had his Pass out but the enemy Imagin wasn't even giving him a chance to transform. Kat, on the other hand, was pissed off. She hated being sucker-punched and then ignored. Summoning her transformation belt, she took out her transformation card and slid it into the belt buckle. "Henshin!" she called out.
Ryuji, meanwhile, was dodging sword slashes meant to slice him into little pieces. Whoever had made a wish with this Imagin definitely had a beef with him. Whatever it was had to wait because now Ryuji was dodging from the attack.
Suddenly, a black and purple ball of energy slammed into the Imagin's back, sending it crashing into the wall with explosive force. Ryuji looked over to see his sister in her CopyKat armor with her right hand aimed at the spot where the Imagin had stood. "Hey, what are you waiting for?"
Nodding, Ryuji activated his belt and slid in the Pass. "Henshin!"
"IFRIT FORM!"
With the armor completely formed, Ifrit spoke, "Let me tell you this from the start; I am pretty ticked off!"
The Shogun Imagin got back to its feet and growled, "Who the hell are you?"
"Fighting for my pride and my personal gain. The Dark Queen of Beasts. RinJyu Lioness-Ken! Kamen Rider CopyKat!" announced CopyKat as she went through a complex kata and got into a stance.
"Fighting with the infernal power of the demons. From the depths of hell I come forth. The Infernal claws of the Efreet. GenJyu Ifrit-Ken! Kamen Rider Ifrit!" announced Ifrit as he too got into a stance after a complex kata.
The Shogun Imagin spat, "Whatever. You're both dead!" The Imagin gripped both blades and charged at the duo. Ifrit and CopyKat gave each other nods before charging straight back at the Imagin.
"Why do I get the feeling your sister is up to no good?" asked Kenzaki as he, Neko, Rose and Kotonoha stood in the lobby together.
"Ken-kun, you always think Kat-neechan is up to no good," said Neko.
"Kenzaki-sama does have a point, Ojou-sama," said Gekiryuken. "Your sister isn't the most stable person around."
"But you can't expect her to be doing something bad because of that."
"Then where is she?" Kenzaki asked.
"I don't know," Neko shook her head. She wanted to defend Kat but she knew her twin and Yin half was probably out causing trouble. She always did that when bored.
Kotonoha was also wondering where Ryuji was. Where had he gone to? With Kat? Why? What could possibly be so important compared to spending time with his girlfriend?
"She's obviously out there causing trouble like she usually does," Rose said with narrowed eyes. Kat had even promised to cuddle and Rose ended up hugging a blowup doll instead. "That's what she does when she's bored."
"Gengi! Jigoku Tsume!"
"Ringi! Resshuken!"
A claw slash from Ifrit emblazed in blue flames connected with the Shogun Imagin's chest, ripping off sparks and covering the attacked area in ice. Then, CopyKat went into a flurry of movements, striking with an impressive and violent combo of brutal punches and kicks that caused the Imagin to grunt and howl in pain as she continued to attack. One last haymaker sent the Imagin skidding across the floor.
"I'm not through yet!" the Shogun Imagin growled. "RAIDEN-GIRI!"
Slashing one of his blades, a wave of electricity cut through the air towards the pair. If their helmets weren't shielding their sense of scent, they would have smelled the electricity burning the air. Dodging to the side, the attack collided with a statue, blowing up a portion of it before knocking the remaining bit over.
"Woah!" CopyKat cried as she leaped to the side and dodge the collapsing statue.
"Watch it!" Ifrit shouted at the rising Shogun Imagin. Even if he didn't care about the artifacts, Kotonoha had enjoyed coming here to the museum. "There are priceless artifacts here!"
"I don't care as long as I can slice you apart!" the Shogun Imagin roared as he charged.
"I guess it's time to drop the kid gloves, huh?" asked CopyKat.
"I believe so!" nodded Ifrit. He closed his eyes and focused his Mythical Ki, his gold aura rising. CopyKat's black and purple aura also flared out.
"GenJyu Ifrit-Ken! Gengi!"
"RinJyu Lioness-Ken! Ringi!"
"JIGOKUHA!"
"SHISHI HOKOHA!"
Neko let out a gasp which alerted Kenzaki and soon he was feeling it too. Kotonoha didn't know what was happening so she asked the couple, "What's going on? What was that?"
"I felt an energy spike!" answered Gekiryuken.
"I sense Genki and Rinki," said Kenzaki.
"It must be them then!" Kotonoha responded. Oh, when Ryuji came back she was going to give him a piece of her mind.
The smoke cloud cleared from where the two powerful techniques had struck and aside from some ruined museum property, the Shogun Imagin was gone.
"Damn!" the two Yin Riders cursed.
"He got away," grumbled Ifrit.
"OK, so now let's grab the belt," said CopyKat.
Ifrit shook his head, "No, let's abort the mission."
"What? Why?" CopyKat whined.
"Because by now Koto-chan must be wondering where I am. Let's get out of here."
"OK, fine!" CopyKat huffed.
"Rose is going to kill you if you don't get back too," Ryuji commented, not liking the unsaid comment of how whipped he was by Kotonoha which he could tell from her tone.
"…shut up," Kat blushed. It wasn't her fault she'd do anything for Rosie-chan. Or was it really her fault?
The pair walked through the front door of the inn only to find an irate Kotonoha and Rose waiting for them. Kenzaki and Neko were off to the side, waiting for the fireworks.
"Are we busted?" Ryuji asked, feeling the weight on his shoulders now as he felt Kotonoha's glare on him.
"Oh yes, Ifrit-chan," Kat mumbled. "We are SO busted."
The Shogun Imagin watched the police crowd around the museum after the Riders and it had vacated. Their fight had set off the silent alarms. Being interrupted or having the opponent running away was something that annoyed the Shogun Imagin to no end.
In the larger picture, this was good. The Shogun Imagin's contractor had wished to split up Ryuji Hasuma and Kotonoha Katsura. Since the two were in a relationship, they were going to be together a good portion of the day. The Shogun Imagin would be able to find them together much more easily in that case.
Sheathing its swords, the Shogun Imagin leaped away to find a hiding place for the night.
It was the second day of the field trip and the students were once again exploring Kyoto. They'd gone into town for some souvenirs. However, two couples weren't happy. Kotonoha and Rose walked in front while two depressed Kamen Riders walked behind their irate girlfriends.
Today, Kotonoha was giving Ryuji the silent treatment, only responding with glares. She didn't want to speak to him right now nor was he allowed to touch her in any way. He hated it when she did this. He loved holding her hand, hugging her, kissing her, and making love. Most of all, he loved talking to her. He loved hearing the sound of her voice.
"This…sucks," stated Ryuji.
Kotonoha was mad for two reasons. The first was because she'd been humiliated after accidentally mistaking Kenzaki for Ryuji. The second reason was because he'd broken his promise to her. She hated it when people lied to her like that. Makoto had done so before.
"Tell me about it," agreed Kat.
Things weren't any better for Kat either. Rose had scolded her in English and Kat felt powerless and couldn't say a word to defend herself. Then, Rose devised the most horrifying punishment ever.
"At least she talks to you," retorted Ryuji.
"Yeah, but I won't be 'getting any' for 3 weeks," sulked Kat. "You know what that's like?"
Ryuji sympathized with Kat but the two of them had to endure. This was their punishment for breaking their promises to their girls.
Kenzaki could only smirk victoriously as Ryuji and Kat got in trouble with their own girlfriends for a change. Currently, he was with her in a souvenir store buying souvenirs for their friends back on the GaroLiner.
Eventually, Kotonoha felt like talking again, but it wasn't pleasant. She had Ryuji sit in the seiza position (sitting on his knees with his legs underneath) back at the inn while she continued to glare at him. The Rider was at his wits end. He just wanted to hear his love talk to him again!
"Ryuji-kun," Kotonoha finally spoke. "Why did you lie to me?"
"Huh?" Ryuji blinked.
"You promised that we would meet up in the hot springs to spend some time alone together," Kotonoha frowned. "Why did you lie about that?"
"I didn't lie!" Ryuji cried. "I was honestly expecting to be back before that time rolled around! Honest! If that Imagin hadn't shown up…!"
"The Imagin that interrupted you from stealing that belt!" Kotonoha snapped. "Ryuji-kun, I thought you weren't going to try and steal it! Not only did I find out on the news that you were there, but Kat-san was helping!"
"I'm sorry, Koto-chan!" Ryuji cried. "But Rider systems are dangerous! Age isn't going to stop one from working, especially if its train is still active! Sooner or later someone would find out how it works and they may use it to hurt people! I couldn't let that happen!"
Kotonoha tapped her foot on the ground, considering the answer. Finally, she spoke, "Those are all good reasons, but the fact remains that you broke the law, kept a secret from me, broke your promise, lied to me and tried to steal something. You need to be punished."
"Ulp!" Ryuji gulped.
"To that end, here is your punishment," Kotonoha announced. "When we get back home, we are going to be sleeping together like usual. I will be sleeping in the nude, but you are not allowed to touch me. If you do, you will not be allowed to have wild make-up sex with me the following morning."
"Noooo!" Ryuji moaned, clutching his hair. "I'll never make it until morning!"
"You are enjoying this, aren't you?" snarled Kat as she saw how Kenzaki was smirking smugly.
"I don't want to brag, but this is the most fun I've had in a long time," said Kenzaki. Kenzaki, Neko, Rose and Kat had spent the rest of the day together but unfortunately for Kat she had to endure the Wolf and female Dragon Rider being all lovey-dovey while Rose wasn't allowing her to even hold her hand. It was just extremely depressing for the RinJyuKen artist as she sulked. "And you had it coming since you tried to break me and Neko up."
"Geez, I make one mistake and everyone's against me!" Kat crossed her arms. "I was just having fun."
"Well, it backfired," quipped Kenzaki.
"Well, enjoy your relationship with Neko for as long as you can, Kenny," said Kat snidely. Kenzaki narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
"What is THAT supposed to mean?"
"Oh, nothing," she said innocently before she waved, "Tootles," and skipped away.
'She's up to something,' Kenzaki thought. Like Kotonoha, he too had found out about the break in at the museum. It could only be her and she had Ryuji helping her. 'I gotta keep my eye on her.'
"Konichiwa, Katsura-san," Hiroshi greeted the dark haired girl.
"Oh, konichiwa, Manabe-san," Kotonoha greeted right back, smiling. She was currently alone in the inn. She'd sent Ryuji out to get a few things and desperate for her forgiveness he'd gone hastily to get them.
"So, where's Hasuma?" Hiroshi asked hopefully.
"I sent him to get me a few things," she answered. It was a long list of things he was expected to buy for her. He could afford them, no doubt.
"Well, while he's way, can we talk?" he requested.
"I don't see why not," Kotonoha shrugged.
'Excellent,' thought Hiroshi. The pair walked to a more disclosed spot. Kotonoha seemed to be politely listening so Hiroshi decided to just go ahead and state his case.
"I really think you should break up with Hasuma," Hiroshi stated plainly.
"What?" Kotonoha blinked.
"Don't you see? He's in no way right for you!" Hiroshi argued. "The guy is the poster child for delinquency! He's been beating the snot out of that bunch of guys ever since they met and I heard you drew a blade on them! I know for a fact that you wouldn't have done that before you met him!"
"Because I was so soft spoken before," Kotonoha replied. "I didn't have the courage to speak out before I met Ryuji-kun. He taught me how to defend myself and how to be honest about my feelings."
"He's corrupting you!" Hiroshi cried. "He's turning you into a delinquent too!"
"He is not," Kotonoha frowned. "I'm not a delinquent and Ryuji-kun may be aggressive, but he doesn't pick fights for no reason. You and the KLLA keep attacking him first."
"He's ruining you!" Hiroshi cried, grabbing Kotonoha's wrists. "And I am going to save you no matter what!"
"Please, let me go! You're hurting me!" she cried out.
"I'll show you that you're better off without him," he said angrily.
"I said let me go!" Kotonoha shouted as her eyes flashed green and her hair got done up in a ponytail with a green streak in it. Hiroshi found himself swung around and tossed against the wall before the girl got in his face and slammed her palm on his chest, knocking the wind out of him. She gripped his shirt and hauled him down to face level.
Kotonoha was now under the possession of her Imagin partner and had become A-Kotonoha. Athena had taken over Kotonoha's body when she sensed the danger and quickly decided to show this male his place.
"Don't you EVER touch me like that, you understand me?" said A-Kotonoha in a commanding voice. Hiroshi was speechless as his image of an angel had turned a complete 180. This was not the Kotonoha he envisioned. "Whom I choose to date is none of your business! And for the record the one who's in control of this relationship is me, not him! Got that?" She swung her fist at his face. He shut his eyes and he heard a loud 'bang'. When he opened his eyes, he could see a hole had been punched into the wall next to his head. Hiroshi gulped and began to sweat as A-Kotonoha let him go. He fell down on his rear and gawked at A-Kotonoha.
'Athena, I think you went too far,' said Kotonoha.
'If you're too soft, males will take advantage walk over you. By the way, I am proud of how you handled your male,' replied Athena proudly.
A-Kotonoha snorted with her head up high and left Hiroshi there. The boy gritted his teeth and gripped his fists. This was all Ryuji's fault. This just proved that he was corrupting Kotonoha. Well, the sooner Ryuji was out of the picture, the sooner Kotonoha would be her sweet and gentle self and a proper lady. Not that person who'd just manhandled him.
Kat hated doing this but Rose had demanded she do so. Wanting to get her 'nookie' privileges back soon, Kat complied. That was why Kat was performing a traditional Japanese tea ceremony under a parasol with her and Rose sitting on a blanket.
Kat was clad in a beautiful black kimono with her hair in a bun, making the green tea for Rose in a bowl with the proper instruments. Contrary to popular belief, Kat was well versed in performing the Japanese tea ceremony. It had been one of the things her mother had taught her about being a lady along with flower arranging. She just never applied those lessons and was a bit rusty. Rose wasn't complaining. The kimono looked lovely on Kat. Kat, however, found it uncomfortable and itchy.
Kenzaki and Neko weren't too far away and watching all this happening. The GekiJyu Wolf-Ken was taking pictures of this. So much for Kat's reputation.
"Ne, Ken-kun?" said Neko.
"Yeah, Neko?" he responded.
"Do you think I'll look good in a kimono like that?" she asked.
Kenzaki suddenly imagined what Neko would look like in a kimono and smiled, "You'd look amazing!"
"Then let's go buy one!" she said excitedly before grabbing his hand and dragging him away.
"I wished for them to be split up!" Hiroshi snapped. "Why hasn't that happened yet?"
Hiroshi was sitting alone in a room, save for one guest. This guest was the familiar figure of the Shogun Imagin that Ryuji and Kat had fought off the previous night. It was calmly sharpening his blades as Hiroshi berated the creature.
"This isn't instantaneous," the Shogun Imagin shrugged. "I have to actually find them first."
"Well then get to it!" Hiroshi growled. "I own you so hurry it up already!"
That was when Hiroshi found his hair in and iron grip and a blade at his neck. His face turned pale and he lost the feeling in his extremities. The Shogun Imagin was glaring at him and letting the cold steel rest against the boy's throat.
"Now let's get something straight. You do not own me and you cannot control me," the Shogun Imagin growled as it let Hiroshi go. "Once I grant your wish then you'll never see me again. Besides, I have the perfect plan."
"What?" Hiroshi coughed.
"Something involving a little bait," the Shogun Imagin smirked as its eyes lingered on a newspaper depicting the scene at the museum.
ZK Chromedragozoid: What is the Shogun Imagin'a plan? Can the belt still be used? What is gonna happen next? And will Neko look good in a kimono? Well, check again for the NEXT update to find out.